1. Field
This application relates to toys, specifically to toys that demonstrate interactions between balls.
2. Background Prior Art
It is common to see balls exchange kinetic energy, change their direction of motion, and oscillate as a result of physical contact occurring between them. A toy that demonstrates these ball interactions without the balls making physical contact with one another is amusing and educational.
Two organizations have demonstrated the movement of balls using, electric charges. Steve Spangler Science sells a toy made of a long plastic tube partially filled with polystyrene foam balls. If a user rubs their band on the outside of the tube, the balls become electrically charged and stick to the inner wall of the tube. Further touching of the tube can cause the balls to move because of the electric force that exists between the electric charge on the balls and the electric charge on the user's hand. The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network provides instructions for the same demonstration but its balls are made of polyoxy-methylene and, instead of a bare hand, fleece is used to rub the tube which is DOW made of glass.
Although these toys demonstrate the movement of balls using electric charges. the observed ball interactions are limited for three reasons.
First, these toys have DO flat surface which results in obscured ball interactions for the user. A flat and level surface has minimal effect on a ball's kinetic energy and no effect on its direction of motion. In contrast, a curved surface obscures the interactions between balls because it adds another variable to these interactions. A curved surface can change a ball's kinetic energy and direction el motion. So a user observing ball interactions occurring on a curved surface will have difficulty distinguishing between changes in ball motions caused by other bails from those caused by the curved surface. Furthermore, a curved surface causes balls to bunch together at the lowest point of the curve which further obscures ball interactions due to limited or no space between them So because these toys do not have a flat surface, ball interactions are obscured for the user.
Second, excessive friction limits the user's observation time of ball interactions. After these toys are abruptly moved to set the ball's in motion, the ball's quickly come to a stop. This excessive friction is caused by a strong electric force between the balls and the tube wall if the user continuously moves the toy to keep the balls in motion then ball motion is obscured because a moving surface adds another variable to these ball interactions. A moving surface can change a ball's kinetic energy and direction of motion. So an observer watching ball interactions occurring on a moving surface will have difficulty distinguishing between changes in ball motions caused by other balls from those caused by the moving surface.
Third, the operation of these toys requires the use of an auxiliary object with specific properties. For the balls to become electrically charged, rubbing the outside surface of the tube is required. If the user's hand does the rubbing, its effectiveness depends on the amount of moisture or sweat on the hand since water conducts electricity and thereby reduces static. electricity. If another object is used to do the rubbing, only certain materials will work, such as fleece, which incurs additional cost to the user. Furthermore, charging the balls using any auxiliary object becomes less effective as the air humidity increases.
In conclusion, insofar as I am aware, no toy formerly developed demonstrates ball interactions without the balls making physical contact with one another, while the toy's operation does not require the use of an auxiliary object with specific properties.